Americans Are Tops in Net Log-Ons, Study Says

More than 98 million people logged on to the Internet from home in the United States during December, earning it the distinction of leading the world in such hits.

According to a study released Friday by Nielsen//Net Ratings, the number of at-home surfers in the United States was more than six times that of Japan, which placed second with 15 million surfers. Germany was third with approximately 13 million.

The study also found that of all Web users, those in Hong Kong spent more time online than in any other country, averaging more than nine hours and 43 minutes per month.

Americans ranked third in that category at an average of eight hours and 41 minutes per month, some 43 minutes behind Canadians, who were online an average of nine hours and 24 minutes per month.